Rail chair



Sem. M H923., Y Mw@ G. P. MILKENT RAIL CHAIR Filed March 24, l`925 13H4 g ZZ Geog@ B MI emi;

Patented Sept. ll, i923.

parte RAIL CHAIR.

Application led March 24, 1923. Serial No. 627,440.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. MILKENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Niles, in the county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Tmprovements in Rail Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a rail splice or chair and has for its object theprovision of means which will hold the meeting ends of railroad rails in abutting relation at all times and also in alignment with each other.

It is well known that due to creeping as well as wear and vibration, the meeting ends of rails very often become widely spaced thereby causing objectionable noise as the cars pass over these joints, and this defect also causes rapid destruction of the rails which require renewing from time to time. It is also known that as the cars pass over the joints, slight vertical movement is imparted toboth ends of the rail due to the wear of the rail splice and it has been found practically impossible to eliminate this slight vertical movement. Applicant has recognized this fact and provides means which will still permit this slight vertical movement. between the meeting ends of the rails.

l but which will not permit the ends to spread unduly, leaving a large space between the two nor will it permit the warping of the tracks so that the ends are thrown out of longitudinal alignment. f

`With these and other objects in view, which will appear more clearly as the speciiication proceeds, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this speciiication, to illustrate the description and it is intended that minor changes in the size, form or proportions of the various details may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view with a portion of the rail treads broken away to show the interior construction.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line X-X of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line Y-Y of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates a chair having cast or otherwise integrally formed therewith fish plates 2 and 3, the lish plate 2 being so formed as v to closely engage one side of the rail 4, while the fish plate 3 is spaced from the rail to provide a recess for the reception of a wedge plate 6. This wedge plate 6 is adapted to be inserted longitudinally ofthe chair and closely embraces the other side of the rail and is held securely in place by means of screw keys 7, screwed Ainto openings 8 formed in the fish plate 3, the lower end of these screw keys adapted to contact with the. wedge plate to prevent longitudinal movement thereof after the same haveonce been properly positioned. Itis to be understood that various constructions of this screw key may be used. Tt may have a rounded base adapted to engage recesses in the wedge plate or it may pass through screw Ithreaded openings provided in the wedge plate to hold the samein place.

In the fish plate 2` I provide a chamber 9 which extends on both sides of the meeting ends of the rails 4 and 5 to receive therein locking members which engage the rail to prevent excessive longitudinal spreading of these rails. These locking members comprise a plurality of blocks designated as 10, 11 and 12, the blocks 10 and 12 having integrally or otherwise formed thereon, projecting studs 13, and at each end of the meeting rails 4 and 5, l provide vertically elongated openings 14to receive these studs. Interposed between the studs, Iinount the block 11, which is of such a width that it contacts with the side of the rail and with one side of the chamber, thereby preventing displacement of the same. This block, 11, maintains the two blocks 10 and 12 in spaced relation so that the studs 13 are in proper alignmentl with the openings 14 and cannot become dislodged therefrom. It is seen therefore, that these blocks 10 and 12 while preventing eX- cessive longitudinal spread of the ends of the rails are loosely mounted in the chamber 9 and will, therefore, permit vertical movement of the meeting ends of the rail when wear takes place, while the wedge 6 and the fish plate 2 prevent lateral movement of the rails, causing the meeting ends to be thrown out of alignment.

From the foregoing description, it can readily be seen that as a car passes over this joint, the two rail ends 4 and 5 may be permitted to move vertically since it seems to be practically impossible to eliminate this movement, and yet will not be permitted to creep so as to become widely separated.

The chair l, may be secured to the ties in suitable fashion and I have illustrated herein, ordinary rail spikes 15 which may be passed through suitable openings in the base or may be driven directly into the ties and have the heads thereof in engaging relation with the chair.

The invention as described, clearly indicates that the same is easily assembled and can be' disassembled very rapidly when it is found necessary to remove one of the rails, by merely loosening the screw keys 7 removing the wedge plate 6, and by turning the rail 1/1 or chair so as to disengage the rail from the blocks and by sliding the chair and rail relatively to each other, the locking blocks 10, 11 and 12 may then be removed.v `To assemble this rail chair, the reverse of 'the operation heretofore described is fol.-

lowed out, so that it is `apparent that such assembling and disassembling can be accomplished in avery few minutes. v v

It might further be noted that this chainber 9 is so positioned in the fish plate 2 desirable since if the chamber and locking blocks' were exposed, rustingof the parts would make it diiiicult to disassemble the rail chair, so that applicant has provided this means for protecting these members.

Applicant is aware ofthe fact that it is 01d to provide chairs having wedge plates to engage the rail and is also'aware of the fact that it is old to pass locking pins through the iish plate and into the web of the rail for the purpose of holding the same in place. However, applicant is not aware of the fact that `it is old to provide locking pins of the kind described herein which permit this vertical play of the rails but maintain them in proper position at lall times,

and it is this feature of the invention to which applicant believes himself to be entitled.

I claim:

1. A rail Chair comprising a base plate having integrally cast fish plates thereon engaging the rail, a wedge plate interposed between one of the iish plates and the rail, the said fish plate having openings there-in to receive screw keys adapted to engage the wedge plate yand hold the same against longitudinal movement, the other fish plate having a chamber therein extending on both sides of themeeting ends of the rails, the said rails having openings therein, blocks within the chamberhaving studs thereon en# gaging the openings in the rails and a spacing block interposed between the locking blocks to prevent dislodgment ofthe same.

2. A rail chair comprising a base havingy integrally cast fish plates thereon engaging the rail, a wedge plate interposed between one of the fish plates and the rail, the said fish plate having openings therein to receive f screw keys adapted toengage the wedge plate and'hold the same against longitudinal movement, the other fish plate having a chamber therein extending on Iboth sides of the meeting ends of the rails, the said rails having openings therein, locking blocks within the chamber provided with studs engaging the openings in the rail, a spacing block interposed between the locking blocks to prevent dislodgment of the same, each of the locking blocks being slidably mounted in the chamber for vertical movement with the rails, the said chamber inthe fish plate being located wholly beneath the rail head. In testimony whereof have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE RMHQKENT. 

